1 We often take pride in the accomplishments of Americans. However, many aspects of American life were inspired by immigrants. Abraham Lincoln once said that immigrants have been "a source of national wealth and strength."2 Immigrants have made major contributions to every field. You might find a list of famous American immigrants in your history book. Albert Einstein, a great scientist, is probably on that list. He was a German immigrant. He changed how everyone saw the world with his theory of relativity. Another famous immigrant was Alexander Graham Bell. He came from Scotland. You can thank him every time you use the telephone. The first woman doctor in America was Elizabeth Blackwell. She came from England. Irving Berlin, the Russian composer, was also an immigrant.3 Many "all-American" items and customs actually came from immigrants. Did you know that log cabins came from Sweden and Finland? Log cabins were first built in America in the 1770s. Soon, log cabins were popular across the country. President Abraham Lincoln made a log cabin seem like a great place to grow up. William Henry Harrison used the log cabin as a campaign symbol. These rustic residences became a symbol for the rugged pioneer spirit.